Athlete A Documentary

In June 2020, Netflix released the Athlete A documentary globally. Not only does the film champion the courageous survivors who experienced devastating treatment at the hands of Larry Nassar, it also demonstrates the shocking culture that allowed it to happen – where athlete voices were ignored and silenced, and results were given more importance than individuals’ mental and physical wellbeing.

Athlete A proved to be far too close to home for the global gymnast community who had long experienced bullying, neglect, abuse and toxic culture throughout their careers. 

Alongside the #metoo movement, ‘Athlete A’ sparked a global movement within the gymnastics community with gymnasts using the hashtag #gymnastalliance to share their stories of fear, abuse and neglect, to support one another and to raise awareness of the problems that need solving globally. 

Australian Gymnastics

In the light of the Athlete A documentary, Australian gymnasts (past and present) realised that they too had suffered from bullying, neglect and abuse throughout their careers and began to speak out about their experiences on social media platforms and with the Australian media. 

Put under growing pressure, Gymnastics Australia engaged the Australian Human Rights Commission to kick off an Independent Review of Gymnastics in Australia (August 2020). 

Australian Humans Rights Commission

In May 2021, the AHRC published the final report, highlighting a ‘win-at-all-costs’ approach; the young age of female gymnasts and inherent power imbalances; a culture of control; and an overarching tolerance of negative behaviour. 

The report found that emotional, verbal, and physical abuse, medical negligence, negative weight management practices and body shaming were rife within the sport, leading the AHRC to make five overarching key findings & 12 recommendations.